Number of students with disabilities exiting special education, by basis of exit, age, and type of disability: United States and other jurisdictions, 2003-04 and 2004-05

Age and type of disability

Total exiting special education

Graduatedwith diploma

Received a certificate of attendance

Reached maximum age1

No longer receives special education2

Died

Moved, known to continue2

Moved, not known to continue

Dropped out3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

2003–04

Total, 14 and over

396,169

214,751

51,881

5,130

—

1,909

—

44,079

78,419

Age

14

9,946

0

52

†

—

284

—

7,149

2,461

15

14,818

0

48

†

—

307

—

8,306

6,157

16

26,985

1,645

615

†

—

366

—

8,812

15,547

17

119,182

73,383

14,178

†

—

357

—

8,737

22,527

18

142,294

94,966

21,039

0

—

266

—

6,112

19,911

19

51,940

32,599

8,158

0

—

156

—

2,774

8,253

20

16,737

7,863

3,832

1,053

—

91

—

1,356

2,542

21

10,851

3,613

3,086

2,676

—

60

—

668

748

22 and over

3,416

682

873

1,401

—

22

—

165

273

Type of disability

Specific learning disability

237,403

141,418

25,432

889

—

606

—

24,796

44,262

Mental retardation

49,522

18,899

14,642

2,267

—

330

—

4,693

8,691

Emotional disturbance

49,436

18,953

4,077

442

—

177

—

8,957

16,830

Speech or language impairment

9,126

5,579

779

55

—

37

—

1,225

1,451

Multiple disabilities

8,595

4,030

1,702

730

—

297

—

741

1,095

Other health impairment

25,506

15,409

2,651

118

—

253

—

2,598

4,477

Hearing impairment4

4,856

3,270

695

64

—

17

—

333

477

Orthopedic impairment

4,117

2,551

623

153

—

118

—

267

405

Visual impairment

1,702

1,236

189

43

—

18

—

79

137

Autism

3,560

1,984

810

287

—

24

—

199

256

Deaf-blindness

133

66

20

17

—

7

—

11

12

Traumatic brain injury

2,213

1,355

261

65

—

25

—

180

327

2004–05

Total, 14 through 215

387,789

211,033

60,004

5,199

—

1,897

—

—

109,656

Age

14

7,086

128

41

†

—

263

—

†

6,654

15

11,645

51

44

†

—

334

—

†

11,216

16

24,563

1,718

632

†

—

393

—

†

21,820

17

124,885

78,786

16,074

†

—

389

—

†

29,636

18

142,116

91,080

24,930

703

—

255

—

†

25,148

19

50,510

28,891

10,600

412

—

141

—

†

10,466

20

16,321

7,344

4,241

1,169

—

74

—

†

3,493

21

10,663

3,035

3,442

2,915

—

48

—

†

1,223

22 and over

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

†

—

Type of disability5

Specific learning disability

233,402

139,171

29,710

1,328

—

591

—

†

62,602

Mental retardation

46,571

16,338

16,544

1,915

—

348

—

†

11,426

Emotional disturbance

47,229

18,947

4,737

591

—

198

—

†

22,756

Speech or language impairment

8,670

5,630

789

37

—

26

—

†

2,188

Multiple disabilities

7,992

3,446

1,972

606

—

287

—

†

1,681

Other health impairment

27,637

17,095

3,331

144

—

252

—

†

6,815

Hearing impairment4

4,681

3,260

718

73

—

19

—

†

611

Orthopedic impairment

3,751

2,325

665

108

—

109

—

†

544

Visual impairment

1,799

1,302

243

36

—

14

—

†

204

Autism

3,830

2,129

974

291

—

21

—

†

415

Deaf-blindness

95

51

13

9

—

3

—

†

19

Traumatic brain injury

2,132

1,339

308

61

—

29

—

†

395

— Not available.
† Not applicable.1 Students may exit special education services due to maximum age beginning at age 18 depending on state law or practice or order of any court. 2 Data are not reported for 2003–04 or 2004–05. 3 "Dropped out" is defined as the total who were enrolled at some point in the reporting year, were not enrolled at the end of the reporting year, and did not exit through any of the other bases described. Beginning in 2004–05, includes students previously categorized as "moved, not known to continue."4 Includes deaf and hard of hearing. 5 Totals for 2004–05 do not include persons over the age of 21.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) database. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from https://www.ideadata.org/arc_toc6.asp#partbEX and https://www.ideadata.org/arc_toc7.asp#part bCC. (This table was prepared September 2006.)